Ukip - Trying To Defend The Indefensible

[puternut]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27176803

[kvalidir]

It would be nice to see minorities better represented in TV and film in the UK- just as it would also be nice to see older people better represented and women represented- there is a shortfall in all areas and there is lobbying within the industry to address this but it often falls on 30 something,white, male middle class ears who don't understand there is a problem for any of those groups, but Lenny Henry is not wrong, and if you look at the figures you will see all of those groups are grossly under represented. This is not to say all 30 something, white, middle class males are the unaware or the epitome of evil either but they do represent a large proportion of TV execs and planners.

[Brenden]

sp, we are talking about Lennie Henry not Idris Elba - a talented actor -whom I thought should have won an Oscar, the former talentless the latter superb (especially in Luther). imo

[jomifl]

Lenny Henry's assertions are based on what? Perhaps if he demonstrated his own abilities to be creative people might pay more attention to his ramblings.

[mikey4444]

Brenden...I have not been lucky enough to see Henry live in the theatre but the DM, amongst others, thought he had plenty of talent ::

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/reviews/article-2067914/The-Comedy-Errors-Review-A-Comedy-errors-sublime-King-Henry.html

[jno]

of course everyone gets into entertainment on their merits, Britain has always been like this.

It's just that for a century or more there were only three funny women in Britain and no funny black people at all. It's only since 1980 that they acquired a sense of humour.

So that explains it all.

[sp1814]

Brenden/jomifl

Are we talking about the same Lenny Henry who won the Critics Circle award for Best Actor in August Wilson's American drama 'Fences'?

I didn't see that production, but DID see him in Othello, and thought his performance was pretty remarkable.

Personally I think he should stick to dramatic rolls where he has the strength of 'surprise' rather than comedy (he hasn't made me laugh for about a quarter of a century now).

Not sure if you caught either of these productions - if you did, you might temper your ideas of his talent.

[anotheoldgit]

I want to see more white actors sleeping in Premier Inn beds.

But to be serious this type of thing is ruining TV shows etc, where now they must have the prominent black actor, gay character, even in shows such as Catchphrase there now must be a black cartoon character along side such others as Mr Chips, along with black cartoon characters in certain car insurance adverts.

And as for 'Come dine with me' we now have to have black guests, gay guests and even one I saw last night which had a transvestite, WHY?

Time we heard the Chinese complaining, because I see very little representation of them on our screens.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// I mean, unlike certain persons on AB, he has not referred to anyone as a 'white savage'. ///

Perhaps you would care to enter the passage where some ABer has actually referred to someone as a 'white savage'?

[Kromovaracun]

"shows such as Catchphrase there now must be a black cartoon character along side such others as Mr Chips, along with black cartoon characters in certain car insurance adverts. "

Why would this bother you? This seems like an extremely petty thing to be resentful about.

"And as for 'Come dine with me' we now have to have black guests, gay guests and even one I saw last night which had a transvestite, WHY?"

Rubbish. There are sometimes gay/black/whatever people on CDWM, but they're hardly on it all the time. You think about this more than the producers do.

[mikey4444]

Jomifi ...I think your comments about Lenny Henry are uncalled for and inaccurate. UKIP are the problem here, not him.

[naomi24]

AOG, //as for 'Come dine with me' we now have to have black guests, gay guests and even one I saw last night which had a transvestite, WHY? //

Why not?

[Gromit]

// It is marvellous how the left are so frightened regarding UKIP so much so that they will report on every bit of 'muck raking' that they can find, just so they can try and discredit UKIP.. //

AOG

I think you will find there is a concerted effort to discredit UKiP (they are making that easy) from the right more than the left. They will mainly take votes from the Conservatives, so The Daily Mail, Daily Express, Sun and Times are doing the most digging to find bad UKiP stories.

[theshedman]

Gromit isn't this something that all the parties and newspapers have always done in some way or another hoping that it will bring in extra votes for their party or party of choice..

[anotheoldgit]

/// Henry also criticised underrepresentation of minorities in Coronation Street and costume dramas - despite his wife, Dawn French, currently being in one - saying: "You can't move for bonnets and crinolines and the people wearing them are all white. ///

/// "By the time Queen Victoria was on the throne, this country had a sizeable black population, so where are they?" ///

Like most costume dramas they generally feature the 'upper classes' of the time, and 'working' class' women would not generally be seem in crinolines and also in such dramas the latter are generally portrayed as scullery maids or in other such such subservient positions, and I don't think the likes of Mr Henry would like to see black actors playing such parts, because then he would be harping on about slavery.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// I think you will find there is a concerted effort to discredit UKiP (they are making that easy) from the right more than the left. They will mainly take votes from the Conservatives, so The Daily Mail, Daily Express, Sun and Times are doing the most digging to find bad UKiP stories. ///

I was mainly referring to the Left on AB however you missed missed out the Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/27/ukip-farage-racism-lenny-henry-politics-europe

However the Independent puts the real reason Labour are concerned

/// With the European poll Labour's to lose, Ed Miliband will launch his party's campaign this week when he will be forced to take on directly the challenge from Ukip. Mr Farage is targeting Labour voters by touring northern England. If Ukip comes first, Mr Miliband is certain to face questions over his campaign for Downing Street in a year's time. ///

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/european-elections-ukip-under-repeated-fire--but-its-not-putting-off-the-voters-say-the-polls-9292690.html

[Gromit]

//
44% of Ukip supporters voted Tory in 2010, SIX times more than backed Labour despite Farage claim to be 'working class party'
Just 7.4% of Ukip supporters backed Labour in 2010, survey reveals //

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2599784/Six-times-Tory-voters-attracted-Ukip-former-Labour-supporters-says-poll.html#ixzz30567r272 

Since the Daily Mail published the above story on the 8th of April, they have publish 15 anti-UKiP stories.

The Conservative Right are the ones more scared of UKiP, not the left.

[Gromit]

Labour will be beaten in the Euro election. It will be close, but UKiP will just scrape it.

[mikey4444]

Gromit...Labour may indeed come second but it will the the Tories that lose.

[naomi24]

Mikey, //Labour may indeed come second but it will the the Tories that lose.//

Are you sure about that?

//With the European poll Labour's to lose, Ed Miliband will launch his party's campaign this week when he will be forced to take on directly the challenge from Ukip. Mr Farage is targeting Labour voters by touring northern England. If Ukip comes first, Mr Miliband is certain to face questions over his campaign for Downing Street in a year's time.//

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/european-elections-ukip-under-repeated-fire--but-its-not-putting-off-the-voters-say-the-polls-9292690.html

[sp1814]

AOG

No-one on AB has ever used the term 'white savage' as that would be racist.

You however, have used the term 'black savage'.